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Stobart offers pay-as-you-go barristers - but no plans to be ABS
17/05/2012
The logistics company known for its distinctive Eddie Stobart lorries has launched a legal service to help the public cut the cost of legal disputes by linking clients directly with barristers without the need for a solicitor. Stobart Barristers, part of the Stobart Group, says it has a panel of over 1,000 barristers, juniors and QCs, across the UK offering businesses and individuals help in all areas of law. It provides a fixed-fee service, through a ‘pay-as-you-go’ model during the litigation process, giving the client control of the process and enabling them to end it after each stage. read more
Government moves to adopt deferred prosecutions
17/05/2012
Long-expected plans to enable US-style deferred prosecutions for white-collar crimes take a step forward with the publication of a Ministry of Justice consultation today. Under a deferred prosecution the authorities and a malefactor business can agree a penalty to be imposed if the business does not comply with 'good behaviour' measures over a set period of time. The previous director of the Serious Fraud Office, Richard Alderman, had called for their adoption to curb corporate crime in the UK. read more
Solicitor-advocate acted for teacher in abuse acquittal
16/05/2012
Who? Marsha Myers, sex-crimes solicitor-advocate at Manchester firm Kristina Harrison. Why is she in the news? Represented Neil Carr, 25, a teacher cleared of 20 counts of sexually abusing seven of his eight-year-old pupils. Carr, who had been suspended from his school since 15 February 2011, was cleared of all charges on 27 April 2012 after a five-week trial. The school and the National Union of Teachers have urged him to return to the classroom, but he has so far declined to do so. read more
SPG conference: 'solicitor' brand still strong, says Fluck
16/05/2012
‘Warm and fluffy’ big brands are no match for the powerful ethical traditions of the ‘solicitor’ brand, Law Society deputy vice president Nick Fluck told the conference. Fluck (pictured) said the profession will ‘continue to thrive’ if it works together to design and deliver legal services fit for the era of alternative business structures (ABS) and other new business models. He said that since ABSs employ solicitors, the Law Society must represent them and cannot give preferential treatment. read more
SPG conference: OFR ‘proportionate’ for all law firms
16/05/2012
SRA chief executive Antony Townsend (pictured) used his speech at the conference to defend outcomes-focused regulation (OFR) and compliance officer requirements as proportionate for all sizes of firms. OFR, a ‘single intelligent compliance regime’ applying to ‘all entities, from sole practitioners to huge multinational firms’ is proportionate because it is responsive to risk rather than one-size-fits-all, Townsend said. The regime was designed to give everyone the opportunity to ‘innovate and diversify’ so as to run their firms better and give an improved service. read more
VAT breaks and nepotism on menu as French lawyers seek reform
16/05/2012
The newly elected president of France could scrap VAT on legal fees for certain consumers and abolish a ‘nepotistic’ decree passed by the previous administration, the president of the Paris bar has told the Gazette. Christiane Feral-Schuhl, in London to visit the Law Society, also told the Gazette that she plans using her two-year term of office to foster closer engagement between the French and British legal professions through a programme of seminars and ‘at least 100’ work placements. read more
Hopper: SRA in need of ‘self-audit’ in actions
16/05/2012
A solicitor who acts for firms under investigation by the Solicitors Regulation Authority has accused SRA investigators of a ‘Kafkaesque’ lack of proportionality in their dealings with small firms and individual solicitors. read more
Trainee minimum dumped in 'partial deregulation'
16/05/2012
Regulators have voted to partially deregulate the trainee solicitor minimum wage 30 years after it was introduced. The board of the Solicitors Regulation Authority made the decision to change the terms of the salary at its meeting today - with the change coming into effect in September 2014. The tailored solicitor minimum salary will be scrapped, but the SRA will implement a minimum salary at the main rate in the National Minimum Wage, currently set at £6.08 an hour. read more
Mediations on the up, audit reveals
16/05/2012
The number of civil and commercial mediations has grown by one-third and their value by almost a half over the past two years, an authoritative study reveals this week. The Mediation Audit 2012, the dispute resolution body CEDR’s fifth biennial survey of civil and commercial mediators’ views, says that the annual number of mediations has risen from 6,000 to 8,000 since the last survey, and their value by 47%, from £5.1bn to £7.5bn. read more
ABS applicants billed thousands for consultancy
16/05/2012
Alternative business structure hopefuls are being invoiced thousands of pounds for consultants to handle the financial minutiae of their applications to the Solicitors Regulation Authority, the Gazette has learned. The SRA says it has hired specialists to supplement its 25-strong team dedicated to vetting ABS applications. Last month it was revealed that consultants had been drafted in to deal with foreign organisations - it has now emerged that similar arrangements are in place for applications involving private equity. read more
17/05/2012
The logistics company known for its distinctive Eddie Stobart lorries has launched a legal service to help the public cut the cost of legal disputes by linking clients directly with barristers without the need for a solicitor. Stobart Barristers, part of the Stobart Group, says it has a panel of over 1,000 barristers, juniors and QCs, across the UK offering businesses and individuals help in all areas of law. It provides a fixed-fee service, through a ‘pay-as-you-go’ model during the litigation process, giving the client control of the process and enabling them to end it after each stage. read more
17/05/2012
Long-expected plans to enable US-style deferred prosecutions for white-collar crimes take a step forward with the publication of a Ministry of Justice consultation today. Under a deferred prosecution the authorities and a malefactor business can agree a penalty to be imposed if the business does not comply with 'good behaviour' measures over a set period of time. The previous director of the Serious Fraud Office, Richard Alderman, had called for their adoption to curb corporate crime in the UK. read more
16/05/2012
Who? Marsha Myers, sex-crimes solicitor-advocate at Manchester firm Kristina Harrison. Why is she in the news? Represented Neil Carr, 25, a teacher cleared of 20 counts of sexually abusing seven of his eight-year-old pupils. Carr, who had been suspended from his school since 15 February 2011, was cleared of all charges on 27 April 2012 after a five-week trial. The school and the National Union of Teachers have urged him to return to the classroom, but he has so far declined to do so. read more
16/05/2012
‘Warm and fluffy’ big brands are no match for the powerful ethical traditions of the ‘solicitor’ brand, Law Society deputy vice president Nick Fluck told the conference. Fluck (pictured) said the profession will ‘continue to thrive’ if it works together to design and deliver legal services fit for the era of alternative business structures (ABS) and other new business models. He said that since ABSs employ solicitors, the Law Society must represent them and cannot give preferential treatment. read more
16/05/2012
SRA chief executive Antony Townsend (pictured) used his speech at the conference to defend outcomes-focused regulation (OFR) and compliance officer requirements as proportionate for all sizes of firms. OFR, a ‘single intelligent compliance regime’ applying to ‘all entities, from sole practitioners to huge multinational firms’ is proportionate because it is responsive to risk rather than one-size-fits-all, Townsend said. The regime was designed to give everyone the opportunity to ‘innovate and diversify’ so as to run their firms better and give an improved service. read more
16/05/2012
The newly elected president of France could scrap VAT on legal fees for certain consumers and abolish a ‘nepotistic’ decree passed by the previous administration, the president of the Paris bar has told the Gazette. Christiane Feral-Schuhl, in London to visit the Law Society, also told the Gazette that she plans using her two-year term of office to foster closer engagement between the French and British legal professions through a programme of seminars and ‘at least 100’ work placements. read more
16/05/2012
A solicitor who acts for firms under investigation by the Solicitors Regulation Authority has accused SRA investigators of a ‘Kafkaesque’ lack of proportionality in their dealings with small firms and individual solicitors. read more
16/05/2012
Regulators have voted to partially deregulate the trainee solicitor minimum wage 30 years after it was introduced. The board of the Solicitors Regulation Authority made the decision to change the terms of the salary at its meeting today - with the change coming into effect in September 2014. The tailored solicitor minimum salary will be scrapped, but the SRA will implement a minimum salary at the main rate in the National Minimum Wage, currently set at £6.08 an hour. read more
16/05/2012
The number of civil and commercial mediations has grown by one-third and their value by almost a half over the past two years, an authoritative study reveals this week. The Mediation Audit 2012, the dispute resolution body CEDR’s fifth biennial survey of civil and commercial mediators’ views, says that the annual number of mediations has risen from 6,000 to 8,000 since the last survey, and their value by 47%, from £5.1bn to £7.5bn. read more
16/05/2012
Alternative business structure hopefuls are being invoiced thousands of pounds for consultants to handle the financial minutiae of their applications to the Solicitors Regulation Authority, the Gazette has learned. The SRA says it has hired specialists to supplement its 25-strong team dedicated to vetting ABS applications. Last month it was revealed that consultants had been drafted in to deal with foreign organisations - it has now emerged that similar arrangements are in place for applications involving private equity. read more